THE LONG AWAITED CLASH BETWEEN THE TWO ALFAS TEAMS IN THE FIRST LEAGUE GAME OF THE SEASON TURNED OUT TO BE A ONE SIDED AFFAIR WITH ALFAS I COMFORTABLY WINNING BY 177 RUNS.

ON A PITCH WELL PREPARED BY GROUNDSMAN JEFF BELLIS THE TWO UMPIRES RICHARD KEW AND BRIAN PITTS LED SPORTING ALFAS II INTO THE FIELD AFTER ALFAS I HAD WON THE TOSS AND ELECTED TO BAT.

THE TWO YOUNG SPANISH INTERNATIONALS MATT WINTER AND JAKE SUNDERLAND OPENED THE BOWLING ATTACK FOR ALFAS II AND MANAGED TO CONTAIN THE IN FORM ALI AND GRINDLEY FOR THE FIRST SIX OVERS.HOWEVER, IN THE SEVENTH OVER THE OPENERS BEGAN TO TAKE A MORE ATTACKING APPROACH AND THE RUN RATE ESCALATED BEFORE GRINDEY HIT A LONG HOP FROM MERROW SMITH STRAIGHT DOWN THE THROAT OF BRAD SEEKINGS WITH THE SCORE ON 86.

CLIMENT AND ALI THEN LOOKED UNTROUBLED AND MOVED THE SCORE SWIFTLY ONTO 158, SECURING THEIR SECOND MATCH POINT IN THE PROCESS BEFORE ALI ATTEMPTED TO REACH HIS CENTURY IN STYLE AND WAS JUDGED LBW BY UMPIRE KEW WITH HIS TOTAL ON 96.

WITH THE FALL OF ALI'S WICKET SPANISH CAPTAIN GRAHAM HOWE RETURNED TO THE CREASE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIS BROKEN NOSE PLAYING FOR SPAIN AGAINST SPENCER CC.LOOKING CONFIDENT AND PLAYING SOME EXCELLENT SHOTS HE LOOKED SET FOR A LONG TIME AT THE CREASE BEFORE A SMART BACKWARD ONE HANDED CATCH BY WINTER DISMISSED HIM OFF THE BOWLING OF DOVASTON WITH THE SCORE AT 205.

THE INTRODUCTION OF DOVASTON SEEMED TO BRING SOME HOPE FOR ALFAS II BUT NUMEROUS DROPPED CATCHES SAW EVERY ALFAS I BATSMAN CONTRIBUTE TO SOME DEGREE.ALFAS I EASILY SECURED THE 5 BATTING POINTS AVAILABLE BY SURPASSING 275 WITH SOME EASE AND ALFAS II SECURED A CRUCIAL 4TH BOWLING POINT WITH THE VERY LAST BOWL OF THE INNINGS WHEN DOVASTON PICKED UP HIS SIXTH WICKET BY HAVING PENNICK CAUGHT BY WINTER.

THE SCORE OF 309 FOR 8 POSTED BY ALFAS I WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A FORMIDABLE ONE AND SOON IT GOT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT WITH THE QUICK DISMISSALS OF DOVASTON AND SEEKINGS.WITH ALFAS II REELING AT 22 FOR 2 MATTHEWS JOINED SLAUGHTER AT THE CREASE AND THEY GATHERED A LITTLE MOMENTUM BEFORE SLAUGHTER WAS RUN OUT BY AN EXCELLENT PIECE OF FIELDING BY CLIMENT WITH THE SCORE ON 60.

NO OTHER BATSMEN LOOKED COMFORTABLE AGAINST THE MIXED PACE AND SPIN ATTACK ON ALFAS I AND WHEN MARRINER AND GRIFFEN FELL ON CONSECUTIVE BALLS TO LEAVE ALFAS II ON 118 FOR 8 THE ONLY QUESTION REMAINING WAS WOULD ALFAS II ACHIEVE A SECOND BONUS BATTING POINT BY REACHING 125.A COMPOSED INNINGS BY SUNDERLAND BATTING AT NUMBER 10 HELPED TO SECURE THAT SECOND BATTING POINT WHICH MAY PROOVE CRUCIAL IN THE COMING WEEKS.

ALFAS II WERE FINALLY ALL OUT FOR 132, FAILING TO REACH THE ALFAS I TARGET BY 177 RUNS.ALFAS I ACHIEVED MAXIMUM BATTING AND BOWLING POINTS AND MUST BE FAVOURITES TO WIN THE LEAGUE FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON. FOR ALFAS II ALL IS NOT LOST AND THEY WILL FEEL THAT TWO WINS AGAINST THE INTELLECTUALS AND JAVEA WOULD STILL BE ENOUGH TO SEE THEM THROUGH TO A SEMI FINAL SPOT.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO RON GRAHAM FOR STEPPING IN AT THE LAST MOMENT TO OFFICIATE THE MATCH ON BEHALF OF CRICKET ESPAÑA.